21. The Testimony in Greece (3) Thessalonica and Berea: A Tale of Two Cities: Teaching, Learning and Persecution (Acts 17:1-15)

Introduction

It takes two to tango. And especially when anyone is learning or being trained. All education and training and mentoring is a sacred pact. You see it in our modern public school education. Frequently, the rights and responsibilities of teacher and student are formally set out.

As Mr Myagi said to Daniel San in the movie, The Karate Kid. ‘Either Karate Do “Yes” or Karate Do “No”. Do Karate “Guess So”, squish, just like grape. I promise teach Karate, you promise learn.'

We have that sort of sacred pact between us. It was formalized at my ordination and induction here as rector. I have been called to preach the word of God and pray for you, and so bring you into heaven. You have been called to hear the word of God and trust and obey, and so enter heaven. We can be good at it together, or bad at it together. It takes two to tango.

In our passage, we see Paul teach, and the Bereans learn. But not everyone accepts that Jesus is the Christ who died. So the Christians, both teachers and students, experience trouble.

Context: Paul Preaching in Greek Cities En Route to Athens (Acts 17:1-34)

We pick up the story of Acts with the Apostle Paul in Greece, now on his Second Missionary Journey with Silas and Timothy (Acts 15:40; 16:1-6, 9-10). Paul and Silas had made it to Phillipi, and established a small church in Lydia’s house. They suffered strong opposition there (1 Thessalonians 2:1). They were stripped, beaten, wounded, imprisoned without trial, and then asked to leave the city (Acts 16:22-24; 16:36-40). Paul is seeing just how much he must suffer for the name of Jesus. And now they head south west to experience more of the same.

Announcing The Gospel in Thessalonica (verses 1-9)

We come to Acts Chapter 17 verse 1:

When they had passed through Amphipolis[1] and Apollonia, they came to Thessalonica, where there was a Jewish synagogue.

After a journey of 100 miles from Phillipi along the main highway, the Via Egnitia, with only overnight stops, Paul, Silas and Timothy come to Thessalonica. Thessalonica was Capital of the Roman province of Macedonia. It was a free independent Greek port city, the most populated city of Macedonia in Greece, and also had some academic attraction. Estimates of its size are from 20,000 up to 100,000. But the city also had close ties with Rome.

In Thessalonica, the Roman emperor was seen as the universal saviour. So messages about the Caesars achievements was the city’s gospel. And many evangelists would have comes to the city to proclaim the salvation won by Caesar. And to this city Paul came, to proclaim another gospel of another King who was universal saviour.

But Thessalonica also had a Jewish population. And so Paul started his evangelism in the Synagogue, for his gospel was, ‘to the Jew first, and then the Greek’. Verses 2 and 3:

As his custom was, Paul went into the synagogue, and on three Sabbath days he reasoned [or dialogued] with them from the Scriptures, explaining and proving [or literally, ‘thoroughly opening up’ and ‘setting before’ them]... (NIV)

Paul stayed some weeks in Thessalonica. For three consecutive Saturdays he preached in the Synagogue. And doubtless he stayed some weeks after most of the Jews rejected his message. Paul and Silas also moonlighted to earn money while in Thessalonica (1 Thessalonians 2:9)[2].

Paul is here presented as a teacher of Israel from the Scriptures. And Paul is described as doing three things with the Old Testament for the Thessalonian Jews. As the NIV puts, he reasoned, explained, and proved. Or more literally, he dialogued, thoroughly opened up, and set before them.

First, he reasoned, or dialogued and discussed the Old Testament scriptures. Paul the confident, interactive Old Testament rabbi, who is happy to receive questions. When in Greece, do as the Greeks, so he is like Socrates, prepared to ask questions and interact. He is a barrister wanting to prosecute his case. He is like Geoffrey Robertson in his ‘Hypotheticals’, prosecuting his case.

It is said of Broughton Knox, former principal of Moore College, that rarely could you take good notes. His teaching style was the socratic asking and answering questions in the cut and thrust of the lecture theatre. Apparently he came into the lecture theatre and said for his Trinity Lecture, ‘God is one and God is three’. Any questions? He was lost when no one responded. But like the master rider of a bucking horse, he would reign in the discussion to take it to where he wanted to go. My trust’s teacher at university was the same[3]. And so was Paul.

In Thessalonica, Paul discussed, dialogued, reasoned, disputed and debated, with a view to getting to the truth and bringing others with him. There is speaking and listening, asserting and responding, arguing and showing and proving. There is cut and thrust and give and take, quite appropriate to the philosophical Greek culture, just as it is in the university tutorial, and the home small group bible study where people know each other well and are comfortable and confident with each other. Sometimes something is so important that you need to unsettle and disturb, and move people’s minds along so they come to the truth. And that is the reasoning or dialoguing that Paul did.

Second, in the beginning of verse 3, he explained or thoroughly opened up the scriptures. Paul is the experienced teacher, master of both his material and how to communicate it. He opened the scriptures, and brings his highlighter, he underlines and emphasises the apt and pertinent Scripture from the mass of words, so that all can see what has always been there, but what they before skipped over or didn’t understand. The risen Jesus had done the same thing on the Emmaus Road, where the two disciples were able to say,

"Were not our hearts burning within us while he talked with us on the road and opened the Scriptures to us?" (Luke 24:32 NIV, cf 45 and Lydia’s heart in Acts 16:14).

And that is exactly what I want for you. I want your hearts to burn within you as you read the bible yourselves and make wonderful discoveries as you mine the riches of God’s word, or as you come to church in here and a sermon cracks the passage open and out oozes all God’s richness, or you do bible study together, or a PTC course, and discovery upon discovery enlightens your mind. My desire and prayer is that God take the scriptures and by his Spirit he open your hearts and minds, and your spirit sours as he reveals his mind and purposes to you.

Third, Paul set before the people Scriptural evidences and examples as proofs[4]. The metaphor is of Paul as a hospitable and generous host, spreading out on his a table good things for his guests to feast upon (compare Acts 16:34). Paul is one of those teachers of the law instructed about the Kingdom of heaven that Jesus spoke of. He is ‘like the owner of a house who brings out of his storeroom new treasures as well as old.’ (Matthew 13:52 NIV) And that is my desire for all our church. That you would come to one of our gatherings, whether in a home, or one to one, or on Sundays, and there is God’s rich banquet set before you. There is good spiritual food to sustain and nourish your soul.

Paul, the discusser and socratic debater. Paul, the master teacher and communicator. Paul, the hospitable and generous host feeding hungry people. That is how Paul handled the scriptures.

And what was the objective of his master classes in the Thessalonian synagogue. It wasn’t to show his debating or teaching skills. Paul had a very particular objective. Because he was an Envoy and Messenger, announcing the victory of his great King. And this is his message. The last bit of verse 3:

[T]hat the Christ had to suffer and rise from the dead. "This Jesus I am proclaiming to you is the Christ. (NIV)

A simple message, summarised in two sentences, which I will deal with in reverse order.

First, the man Jesus is the Christ, God’s universal sovereign and King, who rules over all the world as King of Kings and Lord of Lords. And second, that it was necessary for the King, according to the Old Testament witness, to suffer death on the cross, and rise again.

We aren’t told what Old Testament passages Paul used in the Thessalonian synagogue. But he could have used many. Psalm 2, 16, 110, Isaiah 53, Daniel 7 and 9 might have been a few. But the message of the Old Testament was clear. Jesus is Messiah. He died for sins and rose for our salvation. And one day he will return.

There was a mixed response to Paul’s message. Some who should have accepted it didn’t. Many who one wouldn’t expect to accept it did. Verse 4:

Some of the Jews were persuaded and joined[5] Paul and Silas, as did a large number of God-fearing Greeks and not a few prominent women. (NIV)

Only a few of the Jews attached themselves to Paul and threw their lot in with him. God gave them some Jewish believers. But the big thing is that a large crowd of Greek God-fearers became Christians and followed Paul and Silas[6]. Gentile Greeks were turning to Christ. And Paul’s letters to the Thessalonian Christians, written probably months rather than years later[7], show that the church was mainly Gentiles (1 Thessalonians 1:9; 2:13-16). They turned from idols to follow the true God and wait for his Son from heaven. Wonderfully, many Gentiles who were God-fearers found Israel’s Messiah. Those who did not seek God have found him in Christ. Sadly, many of the Israelites, who depended on obeying the law, did not believe in Christ. And a house church, with a majority of gentiles, is formed in just a few weeks.

But not merely content to live and let live, the Jews get organised to get even. Verses 5 and 6:

But the Jews were jealous; so they rounded up some bad characters from the market-place, formed a mob and started a riot in the city. They rushed to Jason's house in search of Paul and Silas in order to bring them out to the crowd [body politic]. But when they did not find them, they dragged Jason and some other brothers before the city officials... (NIV)

It is amazing what activities envy and jealousy can inspire. Ecclesiastes tells us that ‘all labour and all achievement spring from man's envy of his neighbour’ (Ecclesiastes 4:4 NIV). Here, it seems the Jews who didn’t believe Paul and Silas were upset that they lost the allegiance of the Gentile God-fearers. The God fearers were Gentiles who had left idolatory and gathered around the synagogue to hear from the Old Testament about Israel’s God. Here, Paul and Silas’ success motivated them to start a riot.

The Jews gathered the layabouts, those day labourers who hung around the public square, often at a loose end and ready for mischief. You’ve seen them - louts and loiterers looking for action, hanging around with intent. That’s why Penrith Council plays elevator music on High Street … to drive them away! That’s why Councils get rid of Malls and Squares and turn them back into roads.

So the Jews gave them some action. They whipped up these characters, in the same way the talk back shock jocks whipped up the Cronulla Riots. ‘Come on down and bring some Islanders with you’.

The Mob head off to Jason’s house. He’s been a Christian a couple of months. And the Mob say, ‘We know where you live’. Jason is a leader in the infant church, wealthy enough to have a house. He could have been either Jew or Gentile, we don’t know. Later Jason is described as Paul’s fellow-worker[8].

We don’t know why they couldn’t find Paul and Silas. Maybe they were out for the day. Maybe the church hid them really well. But because they’ve missed the big fish, the mob must have their consolation prize. And that’s Jason and some other Christians. They drag Jason back to stand before the 5 rulers of the city[9], and a larger crowd is now attracted.

What was the crime of these Christians? The second part of verse 6 and verse 7:

"These men who have caused trouble all over the world[10] have now come here, and Jason has welcomed them into his house. They are all defying Caesar's decrees, saying that there is another king, one called Jesus." (NIV)

Paul and Silas are political agitators and trouble makers. They are disrupting the Pax Romana, the peace of the Empire. They are disloyal and guilty of treason[11]. They say there is another King besides Caesar, called Jesus.

To become a Christian is always dangerous. Because our ultimate allegiance is not to King and Country, Family or Friend, wife or husband, children or parents. Our ultimate allegiance is to God and his Messiah, the Lord Jesus Christ. We fear God and Jesus, and not man.

Yes, that will make us good citizens 99.9% of the time. After all, Paul says to the Thessalonians:

Make it your ambition to lead a quiet life, to mind your own business and to work with your hands, just as we told you, so that your daily life may win the respect of outsiders and so that you will not be dependent on anybody. (1 Thessalonians 4:11-12 NIV)

And such a lifestyle pleases those in authority and makes for good society.

But our allegiance is not total. Governments know it, our neighbours know it, or they should. We have another King, one called Jesus. He is the King of Kings and Lord of Lords. And they can either accept that reality, or push the church to say ‘We must obey God rather than Men’.

Well, at least Jason and the others weren’t detained. They had to post bail. In other words, they gave over enough money to convince the cities rulers that they wouldn’t cause trouble.

Jason and his brand new Christian mates learnt that being a Christian was dangerous and costly. This is serious suffering early in their Christian life. Grabbed by a rowdy rough mob of thugs. Taken to the center of the city before it’s governors. Forced to hand over money for your good behavior. All because you believed in Jesus Christ.

Paul says some of his harshest things about his Jewish persecutors in the first letter to the Thessalonians. Their experiences are still fresh in their common memory, when he says, in 1 Thessalonians 2:14-16:

You [Thessalonian Christians] suffered from your own countrymen the same things those churches suffered from the Jews, who killed the Lord Jesus and the prophets and also drove us out. They displease God and are hostile to all men in their effort to keep us from speaking to the Gentiles so that they may be saved. In this way they always heap up their sins to the limit. The wrath of God has come upon them at last. (NIV)

Announcing the Gospel in Berea (verses 10-15) Jesus said to the 12, ‘When you are persecuted in one place, flee to another’. (Matthew 10:23 NIV). And these brand new believers do something similar. Verse 10:

As soon as it was night, the brothers sent Paul and Silas away to Berea.

Berea is 60 miles south of Thessalonica. Like Thessalonica, it was ruled by politarchs and was a significant and cultured city. Berea too had an Imperial Cult. The Emperor was seen as divine and a universal saviour. And again, Paul’s ministry strategy was ‘to the Jew first, then the Greek’. Verse 10 again:

On arriving there, they went to the Jewish synagogue. (NIV)

But we then read of a difference between the Berean and Thessalonian Jews. Verses 11 and 12:

Now the Bereans were of more noble character¹¹ than the Thessalonians, for they received the message with great eagerness[12] and examined[13] the Scriptures every day to see if what Paul said was true [if these things hold [true] in this way.]. Many of the Jews believed, as did also a number of prominent Greek women and many Greek men. [respectable[14] Greek women and men.] (NIV)

In Thessalonica, Paul experienced greater opposition from Jews and thus a greater proportion of Gentiles in the church. But in Berea, the Jews seemed to be of a more noble, or high born character. They were less inclined to be rabble rousers, and more inclined to study the scriptures. In fact, the studied their Old Testaments every day to see whether Paul’s message accorded with it. Not content with merely Sabbath meetings, they met Paul daily. They did not give up meeting together, but sought to meet all the more. Did the Old Testament teach that the Christ must die and rise again? Was Jesus, then, the Christ?

And many of those Jews affirmed that it was the case. In contrast to the Thessalonian Jews, many of the Berean Jews believed. And not only did more of the leading Aristocratic women believe, but in Berea, the high born noble Greek men believed. The gospel wasn’t just for Gentile women. It was accepted by Jews. It was accepted by the noblemen. For the Gospel of Jesus Christ made sense of the Scriptures that they had.

Friends, are you challenged by the nobility of the Berean Jews. The examined with eagerness the Scriptures daily. How about you? Have you flagged in your zeal a bit?

Check it out. Come and meet all the more to look at the Scriptures. Don’t be satisfied with a once a week bible talk. Become convinced from the Old Testament Scriptures that Jesus was the Christ. I am available here on Mondays at 2pm, starting this Monday. Wednesday nights, come to my house. Fay meets Tuesday mornings and Jan Wednesday mornings. Do a PTC course. We are going to do Old Testament 1 soon. Have the nobility of the Bereans. Check out what you hear from the bible yourself, that Jesus is the Christ the Old Testament promised.

Now, 60 miles is a long way to go by foot to make trouble. But that didn’t stop the Thesalonian Jews. Jelousy drives people a long way. Verses 13 and 14:

When the Jews in Thessalonica learned that Paul was preaching the word of God at Berea, they went there too, agitating the crowds and stirring them up. The brothers immediately sent Paul to the coast, but Silas and Timothy stayed at Berea. The men who escorted Paul brought him to Athens and then left with instructions for Silas and Timothy to join him as soon as possible. (NIV)

Paul had to flee further south, but he left his co-workers Silas and Timothy in Berea. That was a better result as well. Even if Paul had to leave, Silas and Timothy could provide the teaching required to establish the brand new church in Berea.

It is likely that Silas and Timothy did rejoin Paul in Athens briefly, after which Paul sent them to Philippi and Thessalonica respectively[15].

Conclusion

But in this tale of two Greek cities, we are reminded of What Paul taught, how Paul taught, and how to learn.

What Paul taught was clear. Jesus is the Old Testament Christ, who had to die and rise again. He had to die for our many many sins to save us from death and hell and God’s anger. He had to rise again to defeat death and ascend to God’s right hand as ruler of the world. He will come back to judge.

How did Paul teach? He discussed, debating and dialoguing. He showed and opened the Scriptures. He was a good host, setting the table for his people. And if you teach God’s people, that is the model for you too.

And how should we learn? We mustn’t be like the Thessalonian Jews, and more like the Bereans. They received the message eagerly. They examined the scriptures daily. May we be like that, meeting one another to read the scriptures until Jesus’ returns.

Let’s pray.

[1] VAmfi,polij, (Vamfi,, around, polij city), the metropolis of Macedonia Prima, so called because the Strymon flowed around it: Thayer.

[2] They probably also received support from the Philippians: Philippians 4:16; though this possibly may have been a later visit: Witherington, 504

[3] Brian Bromberger

[4] Johnson, 305

[6] prosklhro,w (hapax) I am attached to, join, allotted to, assigned by lot, joined their lot to, attached themselves. Divine passive, in that God assigned them to Paul and Silas: Johnson, 306.

[7] The letters were probably written from Corinth during the situation narrated in Acts 18:5, probably in the year 50 AD, with the second letter following weeks after the first: Morris NICNT, 12-15

[8] Rom 16:21, on the supposition that it is the same Jason

[9] Politarch A ruler of the city/citizens, a term appropriate to this city and region, as attested by inscriptions. There were 5 politarchs at the time, whose rulings were valid during their time in office: Witherington, 507

[10] The inhabited world. The political connotations suggest to Johnson the translation ‘empire’. Cf Acts 11:28.

[11] They were probably charged with violating the decree against predicting a new king or kingdoms: Witherington, 508, citing E A Judge. Such a decree was issued by Tiberius Caesar in AD16.

[12] proqumi,a, proqumi,aj, h` (pro,qumoj), 1. zeal, spirit, eagerness; 2. inclination; readiness of mind: so Acts 17:11: Thayer.

[13] PAPtcpNPM avnakri,nw I examine; Lk 23:14, Acts 4:9.

[14] euvsch,mwn, eu;schmon (sch/ma the figure), 1. of elegant figure, shapely, graceful, comely, bearing oneself becomingly in speech or behavior, decent, proper, with decorum. 2. in later usage, of good standing, honorable, influential, wealthy, respectable: Thayer.

[15] Thus, ‘Therefore when we could endure it no longer, we thought it best to be left behind at Athens alone (euvdokh,samen kataleifqh/nai evn VAqh,naij mo,noi); ² and we sent Timothy (kai. evpe,myamen Timo,qeon), our brother and God's fellow worker in the gospel of Christ, to strengthen and encourage you as to your faith (1 Thessalonians 3:1-2 NASB). Thereafter, Timothy and Silas rejoined Paul in Corinth, per Acts 18:5: Marshall, 281; Witherington, 510-1; Bruce, 347-8.